Benefits of Finishing Cattle on Ethanol Co-Products

A new study shows you may be able to finish cattle on lower-cost ethanol coproducts without losing the carcass traits that ultimately fetch top market dollar.

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A new study shows you may be able to finish cattle on lower-cost ethanol coproducts without losing the carcass traits that ultimately fetch top market dollar.

Researchers at the University of Illinois (UIUC) say starting cattle on corn and moving to coproducts later on can help better sustain profits while achieving similar high-end results.

"If you can initiate marbling at a young age with corn, calves are smaller and they eat much less, so feeding them corn for 100 days early saves on feed costs," says UIUC animal science specialist Dan Shike. "This system will use considerably less corn and achieve the same effect."